Province History

In accordance with the command of the Risen Lord the Congregation of the Holy Family took the challenge of entering into a new North Indian mission at Bharatpur, in Rajasthan. A community was started on 21,June 1977 at Bharatpur in response to the invitation of His Grace the most Rev. Domonic Athade, the Archbishop of Agra Archdiocese and by the recommendation of Rev.Fr.Thomas Paramundayil. When the Congregation was divided into Regions, then Provinces, the General Council entrusted the Holy Family Convent, Bharatpur, which was under the direct administration of the Generalate, to the Marian Province on 2nd Dec. 1977. As per the invitation of the Archbishop Cecil De’sa we started convents at Baluganj and Aligarh in Agra Archdiocese.

In response to the request of Mar Paul Chittilappilly the Bishop of new born Syro-Malabar Diocese, Kalyan sisters were sent to the new diocese on 8th June 1989 at Powai in Mumbai.We bought a new house in Ulhasnagar and was blessed on 30th January 1991. The community were shifted from Powai to Ulhasnagar and closed down the convent at Powai. Responding to the invitations we started convents in Bachav(Rajkot Diocese), and Aonla (Bareilly Diocese). The mission houses of Marian Province was declared as a Region on 26th March 1995 and appointed Sr.Grace Bastin as the first Regional Superior. The Holy Family Convent Aligarh was selected as the temporary regional house. When the Marian Mission became a Region, we bought a small house as a recruitment and transit house at Shornur and it was blessed on 19th July 1997.

An extraordinary Synaxis convened on 16th to 20th December 1999 made a decision to raise the Marian Mission Region to the status of Vice Province with the name ‘Mary Matha’. Holy Family Convent Agra became the Provincial House of the Mary Matha Vice Province. 3rd October 2009 was a red letter day in the history of Mary Matha Province as it is officially declared as a Province.

Our new mission stations started in Mundra ( Rajkot Diocese), Satara and Solapur (MCBS Satara-Solapur Mission), Ettawah (Changanacherry mission) and Silchang( Guwahati Diocese).We constructed a new Provincial House at Jalgaon in Kalyan Diocese in collaboration with CMI Dhule Mission and it was blessed on 13 October 2012. In due course, the official functioning of the Province was shifted from Agra to Jalgaon.

We started to concentrate on local vocations, The sisters are in the deepest conviction about the charism of Congregation, the necessity of reaching out to the families, and Home Missions in different parishes. It is a matter of pride that our family apostolate recently extended through Home Missions far and wide areas like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa where our convents are not established.

At present thirteen communities of the Province situated in six states, the young and enthusiastic sisters take effort to learn the languages of different states and dedicate themselves in the field of education ministry. We concentrate mainly on faith formation programmes in villages.

In the field of Work of mercy, we have started “Snehaniketan” a unit of twenty five differentially abled girls with the license of CWC, “Shantighar” a hostel for poor local girls as a Centenary Memorial in H.F.Convent Satara. H.F.C Aonla and Silchang are also running hostels for poor girls. In collaboration with Agra Archdiocese, our sisters render service to take care of the differentially abled and street children.

It was a cherished dream of the Province to establish a hospital in Aonla for the benefit of poor in the village areas. It was fulfilled when Dr.Sr.Agnes started her regular medical apostolate in Mariam Thresia Health Centre in 2010. Today Mariam Thresia Health centre stands as a beacon of light by promoting Pro-life culture.